mass

A large amount or broad public

Mass can describe a large quantity, something produced at scale, or a very broad audience.

• a mass of (quantity phrase): A large amount of something, often with a crowded or irregular appearance. A mass of cables lay behind the recording desk.
• mass production (compound noun): The manufacture of large quantities by a standardized process. Mass production made the device cheaper to buy.
• mass market (compound noun): The very large market of ordinary consumers. The publisher redesigned the book for a mass market.
• mass appeal (noun phrase): The quality of being attractive to a large number of people. The song has enough mass appeal for daytime radio.

Science and measurement

In science, mass is the amount of matter in an object and is not the same as weight.

• measure the mass (verb phrase): To find how much matter an object contains. Students measured the mass of each sample in grams.
• body mass (noun phrase): The mass of a person or animal. The study recorded each animal’s body mass.
• mass and volume (paired terms): Two measurements often used together to calculate density. You need both mass and volume to work out the density.

A Christian service

Mass takes a capital M when it names the Christian service, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.

• attend Mass (verb phrase): To go to the religious service. Her family attends Mass on Sunday morning.
• celebrate Mass (verb phrase): For a priest to conduct the service. The bishop celebrated Mass in the cathedral.
• midnight Mass (noun phrase): A Mass held around midnight, especially on Christmas Eve. They walked to midnight Mass together.

Sentence frames

• a mass of + plural/uncountable noun: Name the large quantity after of. A mass of information arrived at once.
• measure the mass of + object: Use this frame in scientific instructions and reports. Measure the mass of the empty container first.